1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and method to add embellishments and embroidery upon a fabric with a sewing machine. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hoop fixture to position and clamp embellishments while being sewn to a base fabric.
2. Description of the Related Art
A modern sewing machine is able to produce a variety of stitches and stitch patterns on demand. The feeding of fabric into the machine may be manually controlled by hand, or the feeding of the fabric may be processor controlled. A processor controlled sewing and embroidery machine is able to produce a variety of stitch patterns or embroidery elements by selection from a database. A stitch pattern is an entity composed of a number of stitches. A number of stitches may also be used to form an embroidery element. The embroidery element combines the stitches or stitch patterns to form a desired shape or appearance on the base fabric. Embroidery elements may take any shape and use any combination of stitches or stitch patterns.
In embroidering a fabric using a processor controlled embroidery machine it is possible to use ready designed embroidery elements which are stored as data in a memory, either in the embroidery machine or in an external memory unit. Such embroidery elements can be combined and programmed to succeed one another in order to generate a desired composite embroidery pattern. Examples of the combination of embroidery elements are given in the document U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,334 which discloses a method of combining embroidery elements, in this case embroidered letters. It is also possibly to embroider using a manually controlled machine by free hand feeding of the fabric into the machine to achieve the desired shape.
A selection of pre-designed stitches, stitch patterns and embroidery elements are included with the processor controlled sewing and embroidery machine. A manually controlled sewing machine includes a selection of stitches and stitch patterns. Advanced embroidery sewing machines provide tools for creating new embroidery elements by combining existing stitches, stitch patterns, or embroidery elements. Data for each individual stitch, stitch pattern, or embroidery element can be reproduced as a graphic representation on a display, which may be integrated with the sewing machine. Such graphic representation of a stitch, a stitch pattern, or an embroidery element is referred to herein as a stitch graphic, stitch pattern graphic, or embroidery graphic respectively. By freely selecting a combination of the graphics above and by joining these together in a group, a more complex stitch pattern, or embroidery element may be designed. The sequence of selected graphics and associated data may then be stored in memory as a new stitch pattern or embroidery graphic.
The processor controlled sewing and embroidery machine is provided with a processor, a control program, and a memory. The control program may be integral with the processor or stored in memory. The memory is accessible by the processor and may either be accommodated within the machine or may be external. Data for each individual stitch, stitch pattern, or embroidery element is stored in a database within the memory. A display is provided upon which the graphic elements representing the stitch, stitch patterns, or embroidery elements may be displayed to the user.
When performing embroidery, the machine uses an embroidery frame or hoop to hold the base fabric to receive the embroidery element. The base fabric is stretched and secured around the periphery of the hoop. The embroidery hoop is then mounted to an embroidery unit which may be integral with the machine and which is controlled by the machine processor. In some applications, the embroidery unit may also be separate from the machine. When mounted, the plane of the embroidery hoop is generally perpendicular to the axis of the sewing needle stroke. The embroidery unit contains mechanisms for movement of the embroidery hoop in perpendicular X and Y directions within the plane of the hoop. The position of the embroidery hoop relative to the sewing needle is controlled by the processor and is referenced to an X and Y coordinate axes. The position of the embroidery hoop at any time is expressed within the processor as an X coordinate value and a Y coordinate value. During a sewing or embroidery operation, the machine processor accesses the stored data and signals the embroidery unit to move the embroidery hoop in corresponding X and Y coordinate displacements to produce the desired stitch, stitch pattern, or embroidery elements.
In sewing or embroidery, it is often desirable to attach ribbons or yarns to the base fabric. These additional elements, referred to herein as embellishments, may be in many textures, thicknesses and widths. Any combination of embellishments, embroidery elements, stitches or stitch patters, are referred to herein as a design. Other embellishments such as patches, emblems, and the like may also be incorporated within a design. Such embellishments add a 3-dimensional effect, or texture, to the completed design. In the prior art, in both manual and processor controlled sewing and embroidery machines, it is difficult to incorporate embellishments upon the base fabric using an embroidery hoop. For example, a ribbon laid across the embroidery hoop may not readily lie adjacent to the base fabric, may change position during sewing or embroidery, and will often be lifted by or become entangled with the presser foot of the sewing machine. To aid in developing a design, embellishments need to be readily positioned upon the base fabric, and repositioned or manipulated as desired.
The precise positioning of the embellishment within a design is also problematic. In a manually fed sewing machine, the embellishment may move about during the sewing operation and the relative positions and orientations of embellishments is difficult to gauge by eye. In a processor controlled sewing machine, it is difficult to judge the position of an embellishment relative to the X-Y embroidery hoop coordinates. In the example above, a stitch pattern may be programmed into the machine to secure the ribbon to the base fabric. The command is then executed by the machine and a stitch pattern is performed securing the ribbon to the fabric. Upon post inspection, the stitch pattern may not be aligned or centered upon the ribbon producing an unattractive effect.
A design which incorporates both embroidery elements and embellishments is also problematic in the current art. The location of the embroidery element within the design is difficult to judge, and as above, the position of the embellishment relative to the embroidery element is difficult to control. Moreover, a portion of the embroidery element may cover the embellishment. The embroidery element typically has numerous stitch patterns which increases the opportunity for the embellishment to move or become entangled with the foot of the machine as the processor controls the movement of the embroidery hoop.
Due to the problems above in the prior art, designs incorporating texture via embellishments were often seen as too difficult to produce in both manually controlled and processor controlled machines. According, it would be advantageous to provide a device and method to allow the inclusion of embellishments within a design. Such a device would allow the ready positioning and re-positioning of embellishments when developing a design. In a manually operated sewing machine, the device would positively secure the embellishments in position during a sewing operation. The device would also allow embellishments to be used with a processor controlled sewing and embroidery machine. Such a device and method would allow the precise position of embellishment within the design and ensure the embellishment does not interfere with a subsequent stitching or embroidery operation. The device and method should also allow the use of embroidery elements adjacent and upon the embellishments. It is thus to such a texture hoop device and method that the present invention is primarily directed.